According to official statistics, more than half of Omicron patients treated in hospitals across England haven’t had booster doses.
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), which oversees the surveillance of hospitalized patients, confirmed that 608 were infected with this ultra-infectious strain. One quarter of those hospitalized were unvaccinated.
Meanwhile, Omicron booster vaccines have been shown to reduce Omicron hospitalisations by up 88% according to health officials.
The odds of getting a jab again were cut by two doses, which slashed them by 72 per cent for nearly six months.
Sajid Javid, Health Secretary, said that today’s numbers’reinforced” the importance vaccines play in saving lives as well as preventing severe illness.
Ministers ramped up the booster drive with the aim of hitting 1million-jabs-a-day in an effort to give every eligible Briton a third jab before the end of the year and stop the NHS from being overwhelmed this Winter.
Boris Johnson boasted today about reaching that goal despite the fact that 9.5million English adults are yet eligible for booster jabs.
There are calls for the Prime Minister to tighten regulations after cases rose to new records and with grim modelling warning that the country could see 6,000 death per day.
[But, No10 so far has not resisted calls for more action, despite Scotland and Wales all giving in to pressure and implementing social restrictions before New Year celebrations.
Next week, Mr Johnson will decide whether or not to place new Covid restrictions that limit indoor socialising. This comes after he warned in his 2022 message about the upcoming challenges.
These figures are for the time period ending December 29th and only reflect confirmed Omicron hospitalisations.
If you consider the real cost of living, this will prove to be even more. This variant is dominating in every part of the UK.
These figures show how important it is to get a Covid booster shot.
Penny Ward of King’s College London said that these data are not surprising given the high levels of vaccination.
According to her, “Unsurprisingly… almost three quarters” of all patients admitted at the hospital received at the least one dose.
“The main purpose of vaccination is to prevent severe illnesses that require hospitalisation. Anyone who hasn’t been vaccinated yet or not finished their first course in vaccination would be wise to get it.
“Those who have been fully vaccinated must come forward to receive their booster shot.”
Official figures show more than nine in ten over-12s — or 51.7million people — have got at least one dose of the vaccine. And nearly six in ten — or 33million — have got boosters.
The vast majority of Britons have been vaccinated so it’s likely they will make up the bulk hospital admissions.
A clinical researcher associate at Cambridge University Dr Raghib Al Ali said that the results were encouraging given the high boost uptake within the highest-risk groups.
He added: ‘It is also reassuring to see preliminary analysis showing a lower risk of hospital admission in school age children (less than half) for Omicron compared to Delta.
“Nevertheless, the NHS is under increasing pressure due to an ever-increasing number of patients, particularly in older people, so it is vital that everybody follows the guidelines for public health in order to lessen the strain on the NHS.
All 528,000 Omicron cases were included in the UKHSA’s assessment of vaccine effectiveness.
This study looked at different vaccine combinations and boosters for Omicron. There were two doses OstraZeneca in the UK, as well as two doses Pfizer. Moderna was followed with either a Pfizer or Moderna booster.
These combinations were then compared against developing a symptomatic virus case and being hospitalized with it if someone did catch the virus.
Combining these findings with averaging them across all brand types, the analysis showed that a booster jab decreased the risk of hospitalisation due to Covid by 88%, just two weeks after the vaccine was given. This is the normal time it takes for a vaccine to be effective.
Two doses of the drug can still reduce hospitalization by as much as 72 percent from 2 weeks to 24 weeks. This is approximately five and a half months.
Javid claimed that the data showed’more promising results, which confirms how crucial vaccines are’.
He said, “This analysis shows that you’re up to eight-times more likely to be admitted to hospital due to Covid if your are not vaccinated.”
It’s not too late to request your first injection. Everyone should make an effort to boost their energy now, as the year begins.
Susan Hopkins (UKHSA chief medical officer) said the figures are ‘in line’ with other promising datasets.
However, she cautioned: “Rising instances in the over-60s population of England means that it remains highly probable there will be significant stress on the NHS within the next weeks.
“The data shows once more that appearing forward for your jab (especially your third dose) is the best way to protect yourself and your family against severe diseases and infections.”
UKHSA statistics also indicated that the Omicron variant has claimed the lives of 57 individuals in the UK. The oldest person was 99 years old, while the youngest was 41.